1 roll red taffy (such as Fruit by the Foot®), cut into 2- by 1/4-in. pieces

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350&#176;F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions and divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 18 to 21 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Invert the cupcakes and cool completely.

Step 2

Spoon 1 tablespoon of vanilla frosting into a resealable bag. Tint the remaining frosting green using the green and yellow food coloring. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the green frosting into a resealable bag.

Step 3

Spread a dot of green frosting on top of each cupcake. Place the cookie half on top so that one corner overhangs 3/4-inch on the right side of cupcake. (This will be Tuck's nose.) Spread the cupcakes with green frosting. Add the marshmallow half, cut-side down as the hat on the upper left corner of cupcake. Squeeze squiggly lines of the green gel on top of the cupcake. (The lines should go toward the nose tip.)

Step 4

Add the blue candy as the eye. Snip a small corner from the bag of green frosting and pipe a line around the eye. Pipe a line of blue decorating frosting around the base of the marshmallow. Pipe Tuck's mouth, nostrils, pupil, and two lines radiating away from his eye with the black decorating frosting. Pipe a line of red gel in between the two chocolate lines near the eye. Pipe a white dot of frosting on the pupil and attach the red spice drop on top of the marshmallow. Add the red fruit taffy as the cape at the base of cupcake.